edstraker123 Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 Help, A couple of times over the last month I've developed horrible finger pain on individual fingers on my fretting hand. Last night I had only played for a couple of minutes when the pain struck. I can feel it in the fleshy part at the tip of my index finger and it hurts if I press against it . Last time it took about 3 to 4 days to go and is so painful it would prevent me from playing. It was a different finger last time I developed it. I've not been playing much lately as the wife has got me decorating the house but last time it occured I was playing for really long periods. Anybody else else experienced this as I'm worried my bass playing days may be coming to an end :huh Ed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
risingson Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 Is it muscle pain, or pain caused by the friction between your fingers and your strings? If it's the former, then I guess it might be worth assessing your hand positioning and also warming up before playing long gigs. If it's really bad I'd say go and see a doctor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannybuoy Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 Position your fingers just behind and touching the fret rather than bang in the middle between frets - this will let you play with half as much pressure and let you play for much longer. I only discovered this tip yesterday and the difference was amazing! Also, if you're using steel rounds, switch to nickel or even half-rounds / pressure-wounds / flats. Some people also swear by Fast Fret, but I've never tried it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmer61 Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 Yep I get this, feels like you have splinters in your fingers....I reckon it's just down to playing to the amount of playing I doing at the mo. Was worried about playing on Friday, but managed to get on with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 I got it from playing guitar the other day in my little finger. It's just lack of callouses in the right place, I reckon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edstraker123 Posted June 8, 2009 Author Share Posted June 8, 2009 [quote name='liamcapleton' post='507945' date='Jun 8 2009, 08:35 AM']Is it muscle pain, or pain caused by the friction between your fingers and your strings? If it's the former, then I guess it might be worth assessing your hand positioning and also warming up before playing long gigs. If it's really bad I'd say go and see a doctor.[/quote] I don't think it's a friction problem as the pain is not on the surface but as if the soft tissue inside had been damaged i.e. as if you'd hit your finger with a hammer (only obviously not as painful). Don't know why it would strike now though as I've played guitars and basses for many years and have not been playing excessively recently. I'm not aware of applying excessive finger pressure - certainly not to the extent of causing physical damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 Possibly some kind of RSI, ice pack for 5-10 mins twice a day and some anti imflammatory of some description (providing you can tolerate these) for a few days, together with no playing. Then ice packs after playing whether sore or not, or just bathe them in cold water (after a gig for instance). At the end of the day if the symptoms persist go and see your GP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
risingson Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 [quote name='edstraker123' post='508150' date='Jun 8 2009, 12:42 PM']I don't think it's a friction problem as the pain is not on the surface but as if the soft tissue inside had been damaged i.e. as if you'd hit your finger with a hammer (only obviously not as painful). Don't know why it would strike now though as I've played guitars and basses for many years and have not been playing excessively recently. I'm not aware of applying excessive finger pressure - certainly not to the extent of causing physical damage.[/quote] I'm no expert, but if it's really bad I'd say go and see a doctor. The nerve endings in your fingers could be triggering pain from wrist problems, and if it's as painful as you say, well I personally wouldn't risk it. If I don't warm up properly, my hands can seize up with cramp, but to be honest this sounds much worse. Hope you can get it sorted asap! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 [quote name='ezbass' post='508160' date='Jun 8 2009, 12:49 PM']Possibly some kind of RSI, ice pack for 5-10 mins twice a day and some anti imflammatory of some description (providing you can tolerate these) for a few days, together with no playing. Then ice packs after playing whether sore or not, or just bathe them in cold water (after a gig for instance). At the end of the day if the symptoms persist go and see your GP.[/quote] It's not RSI, I am certain, and an ice pack won't help solve chronic injuries like those from repetitive strain. If you get pain while playing (or doing anything) you need to stop immediately or you risk injury. This definitely sounds like soreness in the layer under the skin, probably from pressure and underuse. It should go in a couple of days. It should feel like you've got a splinter as you said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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